The Swift Current Broncos (2-4-1-0) received another sterling performance from goaltender Isaac Poulter, but his 42 saves weren’t enough as they fell 3-1 on the road to the undefeated Winnipeg ICE (7-0-0-0).

Mathew Ward opened the scoring for the Broncos 10:48 into the game while on a 4-on-3 power play. Taking a pass from Rayan Bettahar, Ward let a hard wrist shot go from the left circle and beat Gage Alexander over the blocker for his third goal of the season. Sam McGinley picked up the second assist on the goal.

The Broncos carried that 1-0 lead into the intermission with the ICE outshooting them 19-8.

The Broncos thought they had extended their lead early in period two when Josh Davies crashed the net. Jamming the puck in at the same time as he ran into Alexander, the play was originally called a good goal before the officials convened and waved it off.

Just 30 seconds later, Poulter came up with an important save on Connor Geekie who had a breakaway down the left-wing.

The ice was tilted in Winnipeg’s favour as they outshot the Broncos 20-3 over the course of the middle frame, but Poulter stood tall in the Broncos crease, keeping the 1-0 lead.

Chase Lacombe kept the game 1-0 late in the period as well, getting a glove on what looked like an open-net chance for Matthew Savoie.

In the final minute of the period, the ICE would pull even. Poulter turned aside a shot from Jakin Smallwood, but Mikey Milne jumped on the rebound to tie the game 1-1 with just 34 seconds left in the period.

Sam McGinley was called for high sticking with 11 seconds remaining the period, sending Winnipeg to the power play to start the third period.

Just 17 seconds into the final frame Connor McClennon finished off a tic-tac-toe passing play, firing home a cross-crease pass to give the ICE their first lead of the game.

Swift Current outshot the ICE in the final frame 8-6, not including a shot from McGinley that hit the post on the blocker side of Gage Alexander.

Skylar Bruce added an insurance marker for Winnipeg, tapping in a backdoor feed from Zach Benson after a turnover in the Broncos zone to make it 3-1 with 3:23 to play.

The Broncos had a 6-on-3 power play in the final minute after an unsportsmanlike penalty to Milne for putting the puck into the Bronco net after an offside call, and a scrum at the Winnipeg net which saw the Winnipeg goaltender pushing Caleb Wyrostok.

While Swift Current pressed looking to cut into Winnipeg’s lead, they couldn’t solve Alexander again and fell by a 3-1 score.

The Broncos are back on the road once again on Tuesday, heading to Co-Op Place in Medicine Hat to face the Tigers (2-3-0-1).